Barnes & Noble Inc., intent on winning over a new generation of readers, including some who haven't yet learned to tie their shoes, is launching a digital collection of more than 12,000 books under the name Nook Kids.
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At the core of those efforts is the Nook, the bookseller's electronic reader, which competes with such devices as Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle and the iPad. The Nook has a black-and-white e-paper display, which doesn't capture the visual appeal of traditional picture books.

Interesting. I wonder how much of this ties in with Tuesday's big event.

I wouldn't purchase one of these, personally. The point of books for children is not to turn them all into a video game. I wasn't impressed by the reading either - I think that the BBC do it better with their various story time programmes. Reading stories isn't about having a machine speak the words on the page.

If I wanted to design an ebook for a child, it would simply be a large colour ebook. I don't think that the technology is cheap and robust enough yet to make it attractive compared with DTBs.

I have a huge collection of DTB for kids but am very interested in this, as a complementary reading experience for the kids. My children like to listen to audiobooks and follow them with the paper version, and this would nicely combine the two. Very convenient for the days when I am superbusy and can't read to them in bed.

I agree with Ben. This seems like it could quickly turn into another handheld game for the kids.

Leapfrog came out the year my son was 2 and we decided not to purchase it because of the "gaming" quality of it. My son was reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by the time he was 3 and without the help of video games and moving pictures.

I firmly believe that if our kids only learn to read using this type of device, they will NEVER learn how to struggle AND succeed. They need to struggle (ie: sounding out the words) without having that "cheat" button available to "read" the word to them the first time they struggle to sound it out.

And yes, now that the boys are older (11 & 15) we have all the gaming systems...so they aren't "deprived", LOL!

Maybe I'm officially old, but I loved read-along books as a kid. I'm not sure how I feel about the interactive games, but otherwise this just looks like a modern interpretation of that old book + record concept. The girlfriend's 2.5 year old niece is able to work an iPad on her own, so why not a Nook?

Our products and services are marketed for and directed towards purchase by adults or with the consent of adults. Individuals under the age of 18 ("Minors") are not permitted to use Barnes & Noble websites without the supervision of a parent or legal guardian.

I'm pretty unimpressed by a children's line that children aren't allowed to buy on their own. (Yes, I know this is maybe all of the web. The lack of ability for kids to buy their own ebooks is one of the issues that'll have to be resolved if they're ever going to start replacing pbooks.)

From http://www.barnesandnoble.com/include/terms_of_use.asp:I'm pretty unimpressed by a children's line that children aren't allowed to buy on their own. (Yes, I know this is maybe all of the web. The lack of ability for kids to buy their own ebooks is one of the issues that'll have to be resolved if they're ever going to start replacing pbooks.)

How would children buy them on their own? B&N already allows it with parental consent. What more are you looking for?

How would children buy them on their own? B&N already allows it with parental consent. What more are you looking for?

I assumed the concern was with the "under 18" part. Which is probably not really appropriate for this thread, since Nook Kids is obviously targetted at the younger crowd. But I could see being a 16 year old with a job and being rankled by the fact that you can't buy ebooks. I know when I was 16 I was buying paper books and CDs with my own money and without parental supervision. I have no idea what I would do these days. Probably buy prepaid cards and use those rather than a credit card.

I assumed the concern was with the "under 18" part. Which is probably not really appropriate for this thread, since Nook Kids is obviously targetted at the younger crowd. But I could see being a 16 year old with a job and being rankled by the fact that you can't buy ebooks. I know when I was 16 I was buying paper books and CDs with my own money and without parental supervision. I have no idea what I would do these days. Probably buy prepaid cards and use those rather than a credit card.